Current Status of the Workforce and Training at Fetal Therapy Centers in North America

Kenneth Joseph Moise; Emanuel Joseph Vlastos; Ramesha Papanna; Ramen H Chmait; Ahmet A Baschat; Foong-Yen Lim; North American Fetal Treatment Network (NAFTNet)

doi:10.1159/000525529

Current Status of the Workforce and Training at Fetal Therapy Centers in North America

Fetal Diagn Ther. 2022;49(7-8):333-339. doi: 10.1159/000525529. Epub 2022 Aug 30.

Authors

Kenneth Joseph Moise¹, Emanuel Joseph Vlastos^{2

3}, Ramesha Papanna^{4

5}, Ramen H Chmait^{6

7}, Ahmet A Baschat^{8

9}, Foong-Yen Lim^{10

11}; North American Fetal Treatment Network (NAFTNet)

Affiliations

¹ Department of Women's Health, Dell Medical School, UT Health Austin, Comprehensive Fetal Care Center, Dell Children's Medical Center, Austin, Texas, USA.
² Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Missouri-Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
³ Fetal Therapy Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
⁴ Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, McGovern School of Medicine - UT Health Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
⁵ The Fetal Center, Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital, Houston, Texas, USA.
⁶ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Keck School of Medicine at the Medical University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.
⁷ Los Angeles Fetal Surgery, CHLA-USC Fetal-Maternal Center, Los Angeles, California, USA.
⁸ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, John Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
⁹ Center for Fetal Therapy, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
¹⁰ Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati School of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
¹¹ Fetal Care Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

PMID: 36041413
DOI: 10.1159/000525529

Abstract

Introduction: We sought to characterize the current workforce and training for fetal intervention procedures at fetal centers in North America.

Methods: An anonymous electronic survey was developed to query the 34 centers in the North American Fetal Treatment Network regarding the demographics and training of their faculty. Telephone surveys were conducted with directors of known fetal intervention fellowships.

Results: More than 50% of maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) faculty at fetal centers were female; more than two-thirds of pediatric surgical faculty were male. Most of the training of faculty was undertaken by visiting more experienced centers or having new faculty work with more experienced ones at the same center. Current fetal intervention fellowships appear to achieve levels of competency for intrauterine transfusions and laser therapy for twin-twin transfusion syndrome. Two-thirds of centers stated that they would be able to offer a position to an MFM who completed a formal fellowship in fetal intervention.

Conclusion: A collaborative effort should be undertaken to establish formal fellowships in fetal medicine and intervention.

Keywords: Fetal intervention fellowships; Fetal medicine; Fetal therapy; Training; Workforce.

MeSH terms

Child
Fellowships and Scholarships
Female
Fetal Therapies*
Humans
Internship and Residency*
Male
North America
Pregnancy
Surveys and Questionnaires
Workforce